The Thunder and Lightning Riders

Chapter 11: Nothing Big

Gobbers POV

"Gobber, out of everyone in Berk, I missed you the most." Hiccup told me.

My heart swelled. He missed me the most. But I was confused. "Why me?"

"Well," he started then put his cup on the table then continued. "You were more of a father to me than Stoick ever was."

I frowned a little. "Ya need to cut 'im some slack
Hiccup. He's ya father for Odin's sake!"

I could see in his body language that this was a big topic for him, the way he fidgeted with anything in his hand, and looked you in the eye only some of the time, and the rest he would look at his lap. Astrid reached over and grabbed his hand, I raised my eyebrow. "He didn't treat me like I was his son anyway." Hiccup said quietly. "And I can't even remember him ever saying I love you. The list goes on, Gobber. I'm not ready to forgive him yet. He's not ready to listen, and I wish I could change that."

"You're right. He wasn't a very good father to ya." I told him.

He looked at me startled then said, "No one admits he's wrong." I can see his fire in his eyes. His bitterness, his anger, but also his want for a proper relationship with his father, and yet acceptance it might not ever happen.

"Aye. They think there's nothin' wrong." I tell him.
"But they also don't know how he reacted when he lost ya." A look of shock envelopes his face, and I can tell he's eager to learn more. "He searched relentlessly for a month, before everyone told him that you were dead. He cried at your funeral, and he mourned for years, he didn't perform some o' his chiefly duties. He kept almost all of your drawings, he constantly tells me that he regrets how he treated you."

Hiccup looked down at his lap. "I don't want to be petty, or a jerk, but I can't bring myself to believe that he could care for me now."

Astrid looked at him and said, "You. Are. Not. A. Jerk.
Say it after me." When Hiccup didn't respond she sighed and said, "You got your anger out at least. You got anger out that has been bottled up for at least 20 years." He didn't respond again so she slapped the back of his head then when he let out a yelp of pain then rubbed the back of his head, she said, "Stop beating yourself up about it! Stoick deserved it anyway."

"Alright, alright! I'll stop beating myself up about it, just don't hit my head too hard please! I don't want to lose my intellect and become Snotlout one day!" Even after 7 years, Hiccup was still Hiccup in the head, even if Astrid slapped him.

"Good." Astrid said to him. "Now, sleep." She ordered.
Then, she herself placed her head gently on Hiccup's shoulder and closed her eyes. After a little her breathing slowed.

"She really ya Girlfriend?" I asked Hiccup. He had been stroking Astrid's hair and had been zoned out.

I had startled him so he said, "huh? Oh yeah she is.
She's been my girlfriend for 3 years now."

"Ya really love her?" I asked him.

"Yes. Yes Gobber, with everything I have."

The next day when I woke up, Hiccup and Astrid weren't there. When I asked the man named Eret, he said that they had gone to train. I went to the kill ring, as Hiccup had asked to use it yesterday and saw that most everyone was swarming around it.

"Wha's goin' on 'ere?" I asked one of the Vikings.

"A duel!" He replied. I shoved my way to the front and I saw Hiccup and Astrid, circling each other, getting ready to fight. Fishlegs in the crowd counted, "1,2,3!"

At 3, Astrid launched herself at Hiccup but he sidestepped and she quickly caught herself. This time, Hiccup launched himself and struck with his sword, is Astrid hadn't met the sword with a shiny axe, then she would have died. (Inferno is not lit. Just saying.)